Starting Over (Nugget Romance 4) Read Online Free Page B

with annoyance—“you really want to do this now?” He looked at Sam pointedly.
    “I was just leaving,” Sam said, grabbing her pashmina off the chair and making a beeline for the porch.
    She sat on one of Colin Burke’s rocking chairs. The man had made half the furniture in her house. Before coming to Nugget, his rustic pine pieces never would’ve appealed to her. But now she wouldn’t part with them for anything. She gazed out over the square and pondered the wisdom of getting a cup of coffee at the Bun Boy—her third one today and it wasn’t even noon. She could see Donna’s new employee, a local kid trying to earn college money, manning the window at the takeout stand, and waved. Carl Rudd had redone the windows of his sporting goods store with Tour de Manure bicycle jerseys. The race, a sixty-two-mile loop through the Sierra Valley’s ranchlands and historic townships, brought cyclists from all over. The inn was already booked solid for the ride.
    Yes, she thought, it was a nice town. No one here seemed to care about a person’s net worth, portfolio, or bloodline. And while the townsfolk had been leery of her, as they seemed to be of any newcomer—she knew they called her the runaway bride behind her back—they’d accepted her into their fold. Especially Maddy.
    She continued to survey her new home, thinking about how she’d chosen her own course for the first time in her life. And while she sat there reveling in that decision, her father sent her a text with his latest ultimatum.
    And this time it was a doozy.

Chapter 3
    “M addy, what is it with you and this woman? You hardly freakin’ know her.” Nate got up, tired of sitting. He was tired of the whole damn conversation.
    “She thinks you don’t like her,” Maddy replied. The baby had finally settled down and was asleep in her arms.
    “Because I don’t.”
    “Why not? What is there to possibly dislike about Samantha Dunsbury?”
    Nate shrugged. “She’s a flake.”
    “What are you talking about? She’s the least flaky employee we’ve ever had.”
    “She’s self-entitled,” he said.
    “Everyone else in town likes her. You think you might be crazy?”
    “Must be,” he said, looking at the clock on the wall and leaning down to kiss Maddy on the top of her head. “I’ve gotta go. Take care of my niece.”
    “Where? We’re not done talking about this, Nate.”
    “To play basketball and yes, we are. Tracy’ll do a good job, you’ll see.”
    “Nate, are you sleeping with Tracy?”
    He jerked in disbelief. “What the hell kind of question is that? She’s a vice president in my company. I don’t sleep with employees. You know that.”
    “I just don’t get why you’re so hot and heavy for Tracy. In all the time she’s worked for you, she’s never shown an interest in this property. Whereas Sam loves the inn—loves Nugget.”
    “Maddy, this is all a big game to her—the socialite playing innkeeper, or whatever she’s doing here.” He looked at the clock again. “Look, as much as I love having you second-guess my decisions, if I don’t get going they’ll start without me.”
    She got to her feet. “I’ll walk you out. Tell Rhys to take it easy. He just got over a cold.”
    As if he’d tell his badass competitive brother-in-law to take it easy. The man carried a gun. “Will do,” he said.
    “Wanna come to dinner tonight?”
    “I’m watching Lilly so Sophie and Mariah can go to a concert in Reno,” Nate said. “Maybe I’ll bring her over.”
    “What concert?” Maddy asked, surprised. Since having Lilly, Sophie and Mariah were mostly homebodies.
    “Melissa Etheridge,” he said, and smirked.
    “You made that up.” Maddy swatted at him.
    “Yep.” He laughed. “I have no idea. But they bought the tickets a while ago and could use a night out.”
    “That’s nice of you to babysit,” Maddy said, gathering up her purse. “Just bring the porta-crib and we’ll set it up in Emma’s nursery.”
    “All